Black Bird Song
by CatsBalletHarveySpecter
Summary: *potential spoilers for season 9* A season 9 finale prediction.


To post after Suits is finished….

_[gosh, I've had that header up there since I first opened this document and I can't bring myself to remove it because well, you know why]_

*****Please note, the following story contains potential (already leaked/known) spoilers for season 9 episodes 6-10. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW/DON'T ALREADY KNOW, STOP READING, this story will still be here when you're done watching*****

**.**

Fun Facts About this story:

1\. This is not something new I've written, I've been holding onto this one for a while due to spoiler based content, and I haven't changed anything content wise since it was first written in July.

2\. This story serves as both my finale prediction (ish, it's also still very Darvey-centric and not a whole cast prediction) and my love letter to a show whose characters changed my life. I could be way off, but this is what popped into my head.

3\. I've been waiting for the right time to post this and well, this just felt like the time.

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This work is all purely theoretical, and any overlap with the actual finale is purely coincidental. (The only things known going into this were that Samantha gets fired, and that Harvey gets arrested).

I know some of you may not agree with what I've predicted, and I'm not saying this is how I want things to go, but this is honestly where I could see the show going and I hope you enjoy the story I have been DYING to share with you all.

This story was named after a song used in the show, and I think it perfectly describes the opening of the story, so give it a listen if you haven't already.

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Here it goes, my love letter would be swan song (but not) to the show that single-handedly changed my life.

And with that, a heavy heart and a bitter smile (I may have teared up while doing my final edit of this because it just reminded me the end is near), happy reading – xx S

* * *

**Black Bird Song**

He knew they were coming for him. It was time for him to own up to all those lines he crossed over the years, so when Malik showed up at his doorstep, he went willingly. He wished he could tell her it was all going to be okay, but he didn't think they'd come for him today.

.

.

A swift knock on her door steers her away from the pasta she was preparing for them. After a long day of work, she figured they could both use a nice, home-cooked meal. Faye was slowly wearing the partners down and jumping through her endless hoops was becoming tiresome. Taking her pot off the burner, she pads down the hall towards the door, wondering why Harvey didn't use the key she gave him. She hadn't seen him since she left his apartment that morning, as he was scheduled to be in court all day, and she was getting restless.

She reaches the door after a second knock echoes through the apartment and flings it open with an exasperated sigh. She's expecting to see her boyfriend on the other side of the door but is surprised to find a flustered Louis.

"Louis, what are you doing here?"

"I'm so sorry Donna" he mutters, not able to meet her stare.

Her entire body halts and her blood runs cold; The tone of his voice and his stance tell her something is wrong, and her mind is suddenly racing.

"What happened to Harvey?" she rushes to say, colour draining from her face.

"I think we should sit down" Louis explains.

Her entire body goes numb.

This wasn't happening. He was supposed to come over for dinner and they were going to fall asleep watching a movie while telling each other about their respective days. They were going to wake up in each other's arms and live to fight another day at work..

"What happened to Harvey?!" she yells, louder than intended at Louis who stares back shell-shocked at her sudden outburst.

She had a bad feeling when she'd heard the knock at the door. If it was him, he would have used his key, he would have let himself in and snuck into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist while placing a gentle kiss into her neck. He would be here with her, holding her hand and telling her that her worst fears were not coming true. That case he and Samantha took against Mike was not coming back to bite them in the ass, not after everything they'd been through. She knew he should never have risked it, shouldn't have helped Samantha, but his _whatever it takes _attitude won him over and she's had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach ever since she found out.

"Donna" he tries to reason, he knows it would be best if she is sitting when he tells her what happened.

"Tell me Louis!" she barks at him, folding her arms across her chest.

"He's been arrested Donna…"

The world fades into white noise and time stops. She knows Louis's hands are helping to steady her, but she feels nothing; not his touch, not her accelerated heartbeat. A loud hum rings through her ears and she knows he's calling out to her, but she can't respond, suddenly overcome with a wave of emotion, drowning her in an abundance of fear, hurt and anger. Why did it have to come to this? He had fallen on his sword, and for what? The world was beginning to go dark until suddenly keeping her eyes open seemed next to impossible and she let herself begin to fade out of consciousness.

"Donna!"

.

.

"I'm sorry" he says before even greeting her, "I know that you think there was another way, but I promise you, Donna, there wasn't. Please don't be mad, I did what I had to do" he says into the receiver.

"We could have found another way…" she whispers back, closing her eyes to prevent her tears from spilling down her cheeks as she leans back against her couch. Louis had gone down to try and figure out what was going on and despite her pleas to tag along he had convinced her to stay put.

Harvey opted to use his phone call to explain why he'd done what he'd done. He needed her to know he was alright, and that none of this was her fault. He knew Louis would do what he could to get him out of this mess, but in the meantime, he needed to hear her voice. They'd taken him in and tossed him in a holding cell after asking him a few vague questions about his history of crossing lines and all he wanted was to hear her voice.

"We both know this was what needed to be done" he sighs, wishing he could be there to comfort her.

"It should have been me," she says after a few moments of silence. She knew they wouldn't have dragged him in based on the case against Mike's client alone, but were likely leveraging the allegations against him from the Kessler case as a means of proving he had a history of breaking the law.

"Donna. Listen to me, this was not your fault. What happened with Robert and Samantha, all of it could have been prevented if I hadn't opened my mouth and told you about the deal. I should have never put you in that position, to have to _choose _between me and him. And I know that…"

"Harvey" she tries to interrupt but is unsuccessful.

"This is my burden, Donna. You, Samantha and Robert, none of you would be in this position if it wasn't for me. Please, let me do this. Please, be okay with me doing this. Listen to me, this is not your fault. I couldn't live with myself knowing you thought the entirety of this was your fault. I've been toying with the line for years and it's time everything finally caught up with me. I've made my peace with this and I hope you can find a way to understand."

A stream of salty tears clouds her vision as she nods in understanding, even though she knows he can't see her, she knows he'll understand. Choking back a soft sob, she replies, "I don't want you to go."

"And I don't want to have to leave you…" he pauses to sniffle, and she knows he's crying as well.

"But maybe Louis will find a way to get me out of this and until then I want you to show them what makes you the city's finest COO."

"I am so terribly in love with you, Harvey Specter" she cries into the phone, tears now steadily streaming down her cheeks.

"I love you, Donna." And with that the line goes dead and she's left in the suffocating silence of her apartment.

.

.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you all that I wanted to be left alone" Samantha scoffs when she finds Katrina waiting for her outside her apartment.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright" Katrina offers a small smile from her spot on the walk across from Samantha.

"I lost my mentor and everything I've spent my life working for, I have no job, so no Katrina, I'm not okay" she fumes, trying to brush past the blonde.

"I understand that this hasn't been easy on you, losing Robert. But we're here for you Samantha. Harvey, Louis, all of us at the firm, we've always had your back, and nothing has changed that. Please, let us in."

"Why? So I can lose you all like I did Robert? I let him in, opened up to him and now he's gone and I'm alone again."

"You're not alone" Katrina replies, placing a reassuring palm on Samantha's arm.

Locking eyes with Katrina, Samantha relaxes her stance slightly and sighs, "Thank you. I appreciate you coming all the way down here to check on me."

"Well, I also needed to tell you something…" Katrina admits

"What happened?" Samantha picks up on the concern lacing Katrina's voice.

"It's Harvey, he's been arrested."

"Shit…"

.

.

She thought going to work would be a welcome distraction but boy was she wrong. Everywhere she turned someone was staring at her, whispering something. Harvey had been held overnight and the rumor mill at the firm was running wild. Despite Louis insisting she take a few days off, here she was in her office, flipping through associate resumes as if it were any other day; something she knew was far from the truth. Louis and Alex had thrown themselves in to working on Harvey's case and luckily, she hadn't run in to Faye yet. A small knock interrupts her thoughts and she looks up to find Samantha, in jeans and a casual cardigan at her door.

"You heard" she says to the blonde.

"I did. Have time to grab some lunch? I'm not exactly supposed to be seen in here" Samantha gestures to the firm walls and Donna nods and grabs her purse before following Samantha out of her office.

They find themselves at a small steak house a few blocks from the firm and though neither has said a word since they left Donna's office, Donna appreciate Samantha's gesture.

"You didn't have to come all the way down here" she says, finally breaking the silence lingering between them.

"I did. He didn't have to-"

"I know" Donna offers her a tight-lipped smile, "I'm sorry about the way things turned out Samantha."

"I'm sorry there wasn't another way out of this" Samantha smiles back, "He's a good man, Donna. They'll fix this."

"And if they don't?" Donna swallows, she hadn't allowed herself to think of what would happen if Louis couldn't get Harvey out of this.

"They will" Samantha grabs Donna's hand and squeezes it to reassure her.

.

.

Waiting outside of where Harvey was being held, Louis can't help himself from pacing, moving so rapidly across the floor he could have worn it right out. With his hands behind his back, he mulls over what he's going to say once they let him in, what his strategy will be.

He knew that Harvey had crossed a line at Samantha's request, a request made to put Mike in his place, but never in a million years did he think they would end up here; Harvey in hand cuffs whilst he was in charge of coming up with a way to get him out of trouble.

"Louis!" Mike calls, making a beeline to where he was standing with Samantha in toe.

"What are you guys doing here?" Louis stares between them.

"Did you think you were going to have to handle this alone? We're family. And family fights together" Samantha smiles.

"Mike, how did you…?" Louis begins to ask but Mike answers before he can finish asking.

"Katrina called, she said it was important" he nods, knowing he held a fair share of responsibility in this situation.

"She filled me in this morning. Besides, he would've done the same for me. He has done the same for me" Mike concludes.

"Have you seen him yet?" Samantha asks.

"No, I was just about to go in."

"We'll be right out here" she offers him a small smile before he makes his way inside, leaving her and Mike to wait on a bench outside the station.

.

.

Louis plops himself onto the seat across from Harvey in the small, darkened room, table between them.

"You just had to be the hero, didn't you?"

"Common Louis, we both know I had no choice" Harvey sighs.

"You're the one who always says there's another way!" Louis barks, slamming his palms down on the table, sound echoing through the room.

"God damn it Louis! You don't think I tried everything? They've got me dead to right here. I did this."

"Harvey…."

"How is she?" he suddenly calms, eyes wholesomely looking towards Louis with a hopeful expression.

"Broken. She's broken, Harvey."

He closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath, Louis watching as his heart physically breaks. A few weeks ago, he never thought this would be the thing that took him down. It didn't compare to half of the shit he'd pulled in his time as a corporate lawyer. But now he knew, of all the shit he'd pulled, this was the thing he would be alright with going down for, because he would be doing it to protect the people he loved, his family.

"What are we going to do?" he looks back up at Louis.

"I'm going to talk to Malik and we're getting you out of this."

.

.

"Those are the terms. You not only resign from your position at the firm and have your name stripped from the wall, but you step down as a corporate lawyer altogether."

"Surely, there has to be something else you want" Louis pleas from his seat next to Harvey in the same dimly lit room from earlier that day.

"And if you decide to take this to trial instead, not only will I make sure that Ms. Wheeler gets a front-row seat to her mentor being ripped to shreds, but I'll personally be sure to put your little girlfriend on the stand; and from what I recall, she didn't do too well up there last time" Malik

smirks, a pleased look settling over his face as he folds his hands on the table.

"Leave her out of this" Harvey spits back.

"Easy Harv, you can make this all go away. You've heard the terms you have until this afternoon in court to decide."

"What did I ever do to you, huh?"

"Common now Harvey, just think of me as a monument to your sins."

.

.

Fastening the clasp of her necklace, she makes her way down the hall to answer the door. Being at work hadn't been the distraction she'd hoped for, so she headed home after her lunch with Samantha and tried to get a hold of Louis. When she had finally reached him, he told her Harvey had been offered a deal, and that Malik was presenting that deal in court this afternoon. After filling her in on what was offered, she was looking for anything to take her mind off it, laundry, dishes, sweeping, anything at all.

She quickly tidied her dishes and got ready, a nervous anxiousness riddling her body as she prepared to head down to the courthouse. Flinging the door open, she's surprised to see Mike on the other side, wearing an "I'm sorry" grin and immediately pulling her in for a hug.

"What are you doing here?" she stares at Mike.

"Katrina called me last night, Louis told her. I was on the first flight out so I could be down there first thing this morning. The more important thing is how are you holding up?"

"I've been better" she sighs, unable to help the tears from falling once again. She really thought she'd be out of tears by now, but evidently, she was a bottomless fountain of saltwater.

"Wait, you've seen him?"

"No, Louis went in and saw him" Mike explains, "But I went and saw Cahill and I think I have a way to get Harvey out of this, that's why I'm here. I tried to call Louis, but I couldn't reach him, and I thought you might know where he was."

"Louis didn't tell you?"

"Louis didn't tell me what?"

"Mike, they offered Harvey a deal, they're going to court this afternoon."

"Shit! We have to get down there, I'll call Cahill on the way and let him know where we're headed. But we need more time!"

.

.

True to his word, Louis arranged a meeting with Malik and landed Harvey an offer. In exchange for his freedom, he could step down from his position at the firm and resign as a corporate lawyer altogether. He'd hardly been locked up for a day, but he takes an extra moment to appreciate his freedom as he makes his way into the courtroom behind Louis to officially hear his offer from Malik.

Before he makes it down the hall, he spots a familiar face leaning up against the wall, arms folded over his chest, piercing blue eyes above a frown.

"What'd you do this time?" Sean asks as Harvey approaches him.

"Took things one step too far I guess" Harvey attempts to smirk but his words bare too much truth.

"You always did think you were above the law, didn't you?" Sean chuckles slightly.

His laugh is cut short and his face falls, a serious tone lingering in his voice as he leans towards Harvey and whispers, "Don't do anything stupid in there, I think I found a way to help you, I just need more time."

"How did you even know?"

"Let's just say, that former associate of yours is one hell of a friend" Sean answers, before Louis is ushering Harvey down the hall towards the court room.

"Did you know about this?" he asks Louis.

"No, but I wish I had" Louis mutters.

.

.

She spots Malik entering the courtroom and struts over to where he's laughing along with a few other men and places herself directly in front of his face.

"Ms. Paulsen" he greets with a sly smile.

"Save it" she holds a hand up in his face, "I don't know who you think you are, coming after the people I love but you need to back the hell off!" she spits at him.

"People you love, huh, I guess you really did sleep your way to the top, didn't you" he grins back, the smug expression on his face merely too much for her to handle and she smacks him across the cheek with an open palm.

He clutches his face and looks back at her wild-eyed.

"I can assure you, Mr. Malik, I earned my fucking position!" she fires at him and moves to walk back towards where Samantha, Katrina and Mike are waiting for her.

"You better hope your boyfriend doesn't drag this out in court Ms. Paulsen, or I won't be the only one questioning the type of personal relationship you two have had all these years."

"What happens between me and Harvey is none of your concern!"

"We'll see about that. It's interesting how you just happened to be dating the client involved in this. Tell me, are you two still together?"

"That's enough!" Samantha interrupts and steps in to pull Donna away.

"Just leave him, Donna. He's just trying to get in your head" Samantha says as she leads her towards where Katrina is standing.

"Nice seeing you Ms. Wheeler, how's unemployment treating you?"

Alex, who happened to be walking in had heard enough and charges Malik, grabbing him by the collar and forcing him against the wall with a thud.

"Listen here, you arrogant prick. You're going to walk away right now or I'm going to remind you why you shouldn't pick a fight with our firm. Got it?"

He releases Malik with a dramatic flair and watches as he shrinks into the courtroom, having nothing else to say to the employees of Specter Litt Wheeler Williams.

.

.

He spots her standing in the hall as he rounds the corner and she immediately rushes over to him and collapses into his arms with a soft sob.

"Donna I'm so…"

"I know" she cuts him off with a tender peck on the lips.

"Did Louis tell you?" he whispers, still holding her in his arms.

"Yes, and I say you wait until we think of something else."

"We both know there is nothing else Donna…" he sighs, running his hand through the curls that fall over her shoulder, his other hand gently tracing circles on her back.

"That's not true, what if Mike and Sean …"

"What if Mike and Sean what?! Cross a few more lines to make up for the ones I blew out of the water?"

"Harvey, give them a chance. I know that if you just give them some time that maybe…"

"Donna" he stops her and gazes into her eyes and she can see he's made peace with his decision.

"Why are you doing this? You always say when you're back's against the wall…"

"Because I can't keep slow dancing in a burning room!" he yells back in frustration.

"I'm taking the deal…" he adds.

"Harvey, being a lawyer is everything to you, I can't let you do this."

"You are everything to me. Before I met you, I thought being a lawyer was what defined me. I meant it when I told you that I can't be me without you. In the past year, I have almost lost everything twice and the only thing that matters to me is that I don't lose you. None of it matters without you, Donna. I don't need to be some big fancy lawyer, I just need you."

"What if you look back on this one day and regret throwing everything away?"

"Don't you see, you are my everything."

"Harv-"

"There will be another job. If Mike did it, I don't see why I can't. I'm ready to do this. I'm ready for what's next. So, are you in?"

"You know I'd follow you to the ends of the earth" she smiles sadly, slipping her fingers through his.

"Good. Because I have a question to ask you later and I'm sort of hoping you'll say yes."

And with that, he places a kiss on her lips and turns to follow Louis into the courtroom. Donna follows behind him and slides into a seat in the back row next to Samantha and Katrina, who each take one of her hands in theirs. Behind them, Mike, Sean and Alex are seated beside a few of the firms associates but she notices Faye is nowhere to be found.

"The court will now take Harvey Specter VS the state of New York," the judge begins, and Harvey looks back over his shoulder from where he is seated next to Louis and sends Donna a tight-lipped smile.

"Mr. Specter, you've been accused of breaking the law on several counts including breaking attorney-client privilege and witness tampering, how do you wish to plead?"

"Actually, your honor" Louis stands and buttons up his suit jacket as he approaches Malik's table. He looks back to Harvey who nods in reassurance.

"An agreement has been reached."

Donna's stomach lurches as Louis' words leave his mouth. She felt nauseous, watching him throw everything away like this, and for what? For her? For Samantha? She considers excusing herself into the hall, but she knows she needs to be here for him. Unlike last time, she needed to be here, by his side, whatever the outcome.

Sean and Mike's faces flush with panic when they realize what he's doing, and that there is nothing anyone can do to stop him.

Leaning over the bench, Mike whispers in Donna's ear, "I thought he was going to get us more time?"

"He'd already made up his mind" she whispers back, her voice wavering as the hushed words leave her lips.

"Go on…" the judge tells Louis, who turns to Harvey, who gets up and joins him next to Malik.

"I'll give you what you want. On three conditions. First, Robert's name gets to stay. Second, Samantha gets her job back as a senior partner at what will be called _Zane Litt Wheeler Williams, _and finally, you can't go after Donna in her position as COO for anything related to this case, all of this goes away with my resignation."

"Let me see if I heard that correctly, if we let Robert, a former member of the bar, keep his name up and see that Ms. Wheeler is reinstated in her role as senior partner, you'll resign?"

"You forgot the part about not going after Donna" Harvey adds.

"Consider it done" Malik grins back maliciously.

"Then Louis, I would like to consider this my formal resignation. I, Harvey Reginal Specter, officially resign from my position as a senior partner at the firm. I will be stepping down effective immediately and taking a break from law to focus on a few things that really matter to me."

His eyes find hers and he knows that as hard as it was to say those words, to lose everything he'd spent years building, it was all going to be alright. That somehow, someway, this was what he needed to do, and it was all going to be okay because he had her.

He doesn't hear anything else that is said, only the gavel banging to dismiss the case. He hears Louis call his name beneath the sea of white noise that floods his ears as the reality of what he'd just done comes crashing down on him. He feels the panic begin to rise in his chest, as it becomes harder to breathe with each passing second. He was Harvey Specter, the best closer this city had ever seen, except, he no longer was. Now, he was just Harvey Specter. Harvey Specter, formerly the best closer this city had ever seen.

Her hands on his face bring him back from his spiraling thoughts.

"Donna" he croaks, leaning on the arm she had around his waist as his knees give out beneath him.

"I'm right here" she reassures him as she leads him into one of the empty benches in the now cleared out courtroom.

"Talk to me" she pleads, hand gently stroking his thigh. Louis, Samantha, and Mike linger nearby, giving Harvey and Donna their space but also there if needed for support, while Alex and Katrina hang back.

"I… I need a minute" is all he manages to say, sitting expressionless staring straight ahead of him.

Sean excuses himself and says he'll check in a little later, leaving the remaining members of the firm to sit in silence, jaws slightly hung open, stunned at what just happened. Harvey clings on to Donna's hand, his face pale with worry as he stares into the void, processing.

Nobody says anything. They all just sit in silence with each other as the seconds pass by. Katrina leans her head on Samantha's shoulder and Louis holds Donna's second hand, fearing that if he let go, they'll both lose what little composure they still had.

His mind whirled, his ears flushed with white noise and his vision blurred. He knew he made the right decision, but that didn't take away the pain that accompanied it. Images of himself as an associate, the day he made partner, the first time he saw those silver letters bearing his name on the wall all flood his mind. All memories that helped build him into the man he was today, all filled with the people who now sat by his side.

Somehow, through all the hardships, through all the times he and Louis failed to see eye-to-eye, they'd become friends. He had become a mentor to a kid who needed a family almost as much as he had, even if he didn't know it at the time. He watched as that same kid fell in love and started a family. He mended friendships with old friends like Alex, and forged new friendships with his enemy's like Samantha.

And above all that, there was always Donna. The only constant in his life. The woman who convinced him to make things right with his mother, who helped him discover what kind of lawyer he wanted to be and ultimately, who taught him there was more to life than a career.

After sitting in silence for hat felt like an eternity, Harvey is the first to break the silence.

"You guys didn't need to stay" he looks over at where Louis, Mike, Samantha, Alex and Katrina are seated across from them.

"We wanted to make sure you were alright" Katrina offers him a shy smile.

"I will be. This was my decision and I want you all to know that. I did what I needed to do, for me. As I told Donna, I was the route cause of this, this was my cross to carry."

"Thank you, Harvey" Samantha walks over and squeezes him on the shoulder, "For everything" she adds, tears beginning to fall.

"Do me a favour? Show them what a kick-ass lawyer you can be, you've got some big shoes to fill Wheeler" he smiles slightly.

'I'll do my best, Specter" she replies before heading out of the courtroom with Katrina, Mike and Alex, leaving Louis alone with Harvey and Donna.

"Donna, can you give us a minute?"

"Of course, I'll be right outside" she squeezes Harvey's hand before letting it go and excusing herself. Sliding into the seat next to him, Louis and Harvey sit in silence, staring at the empty desk in front of them.

"What made you take the deal?"

"Someone I admire once told me there was more than life to than the law. He's about to start a family and I've never seen him happier and I just guess I realized I want that too."

Tears well in Louis' eyes as he turns towards Harvey and pulls him in for a tight hug. When he finally releases him, both men are teary-eyed.

"It's not going to be the same without you" Louis sighs.

"It's a good thing I'm not going too far."

"What do you mean?"

"Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

.

.

They don't talk about it on the car ride home, instead, they ride back to his apartment in silence, watching as the city passes by in a blur of lights and colours. They climb collapse into bed as soon as they make it to the apartment, Donna's head falling on his chest as he strokes her hair. She listens to the sound of his heartbeat as he breathes, allowing herself to breathe in time with him.

"What now?" she sighs into his chest.

"I don't know" he mumbles into her hair.

And for the first time in a decade, he had no idea what came next.

.

.

News of Harvey's resignation spread like a wildfire at the firm and Louis thought it would be best for Donna if she take the next weeks off to avoid the inevitable stares and whispers. Harvey had already gone for a run when she got up that morning, so she sat alone in his kitchen while she sipped her Saturday morning coffee. The sudden blaring of her alarm startles her and she reaches for the phone and answers the call.

"Hey, Rach."

"Hey Donna, how are you holding up?"

"Mike told you?"

"He called last night. I'm so sorry Donna" Rachel gushes into the receiver, "How are you doing?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I just feel so responsible. If it hadn't of been for Thomas, we wouldn't be in this mess" she sighs.

"But Donna, if it hadn't been for Thomas, maybe you wouldn't be with Harvey" Rachel points out.

"He keeps saying it's not my fault, but Rach I feel so guilty. He lost everything."

"He's a big boy Donna, He wouldn't have done it if he didn't want to. I think for his sake you need to try and lose some of that guilt."

"It's just, he always said he didn't want to see what kind of lawyer he would be without me, and I'm scared to see what kind of COO I am without him" she cries, wiping her tears on the back of her sleeve.

"You're going to be the same incredible COO I hired" she hears his voice from behind her and whirls around to find him leaning against the door to the kitchen. She'd been so caught up in her conversation with Rachel she hadn't even heard him come in.

"Rach, I'm going to have to call you back."

"It's all going to work out Donna" her friend calls into the phone.

"Thanks, Rachel" she smiles before hanging up and turning her attention back to Harvey.

"What if I can't do it? Be me, without you?" she asks as he steps towards her and takes her hand in his own.

"You can, and you will. Do you know how I know that?" she nods her head in response and he continues, "Because you're Donna."

She laughs at his use of the line she used when they met and drops her head to his shoulder.

"Promise me you didn't do this to _save _me."

"I did this for me, Donna. Someone told me there's more to life than law and it's time I found that more" he smiles down at her. A genuine smile that reaches his eyes and she can tell that he's really okay with what happened in court yesterday.

And he was. Yes, yesterday had shaken him. He'd spent years building his legacy after all. But after having some time to cool off and reflect, he would do it all again if he had to. He had come to realize his career didn't define him. He didn't need to be the best closer in the city to be happy. He'd gotten everything he needed from his time at the firm, a family. People whom he loved, respected and cherished. People he would have by his side long after depositions and court orders.

"Harvey Specter, are you telling me you want something more?"

"About that, come with me…" he tugs her towards the door.

"Where are we going?" she calls after him.

"I want to show you something" he calls back over his shoulder.

.

.

The firm is empty for the most part, seeing as it's early on a Saturday morning and despite having resigned he marches down the hall towards his office with Donna trailing close behind him.

He stops in front of her former desk and she nearly crashes into him.

"What are you doing?" she stares up at him like he's lost his mind.

"I wanted us to be here when I told you" he explains.

"At my old desk? Told me what?" she questions.

"I wanted to be here, in the place I first realized I _loved _you. But I also wanted to remind you of how much you've grown, how much we've both grown, together. When we started out here," he gestures to her desk, "I wouldn't have survived a day without you. But that's changed now because you've helped me grow. Donna, I wouldn't be half the man I was today if it wasn't for you and I know you're going to continue to be an incredible COO when I'm gone."

She stares back at him with damp eyes, he really had mastered the art of making her cry with these emotional speeches.

"And I want you to remember that when I tell you this. I talked to Mike yesterday, about a job. It looks like he and Rachel were considering moving back to the city and he wants me to go work for their firm once they do."

She stares back at him, mouth hung open for a few moments before flinging her arms around his neck and embracing him.

"Harvey, that's incredible!"

"It's no corporate law, but I can't think of anyone else I'd rather start over with than family" he smiles into a short kiss.

"And you just gave me that pep talk because you don't think I should follow you there…"

"Don't get me wrong, I love working together, but it would be a downgrade for your career, and you've worked so hard for everything you have, I don't want to see you throw it all away."

"Have I told you how much I love you lately?" she whispers into a kiss.

Stepping out of his embrace, she adds,

"And just so you know, I'm not telling Samantha to take it easy on you guys if you ever take a case against us."

"That's my girl" he smirks, taking her in his arms once again.

Seeing as they are already at the firm, she helps him pack up some of the things in his office. She's filling a box with records when she stumbles across the old Miles Davis she'd scratched and smiles to herself. They really had come a long way.

"Donna, can you give me a hand with this?" he calls from the other side of her former desk. He's sitting in her desk chair, rummaging through a box when she makes her way over to him.

"Can you grab me the stuff out of the bottom drawer?" he asks once she reaches the desk.

"Why do you have things in here?" she wonders out loud as she bends down to open the bottom desk drawer. Her hand flies up to cover her mouth when she spots it, the can opener sitting next to an empty ring box.

Looking up, she finds him on one knee, ring in hand, looking up at her. Taking her hands in his, he says, "Donna Roberta Paulsen,"

"Yes" she answers before he can even ask.

"Let me finish. The moment I met you, you took my breath away. You've been taking my breath away for twelve years. You are the most resilient, beautiful, talented woman I know, and I can't believe I get to call you mine. I know that it took me a while, to see what was right in front of me, but I promise you, I've seen you for years. The way you bite on the tip of your pen when you're confused. The way you purposefully took the long way to your office so you would have to walk past mine. And you can't say you didn't do that, and the reason that I know is that I did the same thing. You are my everything, Donna. You are my something more, and this ring is just a way to tell the rest of the world exactly how I love you. You changed my life, that day in the bar. You've been changing my life every day since. So, Donna Paulsen, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes" she cries before slipping the ring onto her finger and slipping into his arms on the floor.

.

.

**Three Months Later…**

It had been three months since his arrest. Just shy of three months since he stepped down as corporate lawyer but more importantly, three months since she agreed to marry him. They were set to be married at the end of the month, at the Plaza and despite being busier than ever in her role as COO at Zane Wheeler Williams, Donna had planned the entire wedding herself.

_Zane Wheeler Williams, _he never thought he'd see the day where that wall didn't spell out _Pearson, Specter or Litt. _

Louis had resigned as managing partner shortly after his own resignation to step into Professor Gerard's former position at Harvard. His decision surprised Harvey initially but when Shelia reclaimed her position at Harvard, he understood why the decision made sense for them. Louis was a natural leader and having his own flock of students each year was the perfect way for him to spread the wealth of knowledge he'd accumulated over the years.

Samantha stepped in as the firms managing partner, following in the footsteps of her mentor and the firm was thriving once again. Donna was thrilled to have Rachel back in the city, and had also grown closer to Samantha and Katrina and the four women often had girls nights; kicking Harvey out of his own apartment, an apartment he now shared with Donna. Donna filled him in now and again about the happenings of the firm and it sounded like Samantha was living up to the promise she'd made him.

He'd been working with Mike and Rachel for almost two weeks and surprisingly, he found himself enjoying every minute of it. Work was no longer something he found stressful, rather he was enjoying the law and much to both his and Mike's surprise, he had a knack for helping people. He came into the firm on the same level as Mike, neither feeling it was appropriate he work for his former associates and he was a natural fit for a third partner.

They'd been living together for nearly two months, neither wanting to waste another morning not waking up in the arms of the other. It was surreal. He had lost everything and yet he'd never felt happier, more at peace. He found himself appreciating the little things more, listening more intently to clients and not to brag, but he's pretty positive he was the best damn non-profit lawyer the city had ever seen.

And then there was Donna, who was there through it all. She was there when he panicked about losing his career a few weeks after his arrest. She was there when he doubted his ability to move on and she was there when finally embraced his future. In the weirdest of ways, they had come full circle. They hired Mike and brought him into their little firm family nearly a decade prior. Mike who encouraged Harvey to grow beyond his career, to grow in love and to grow as a person. Mike who introduced Rachel to their little family, who was there for Donna when Harvey failed to see what was right in front of his face. Mike, who in a weird way was the reason for Harvey and Louis' ever evolving friendship. He had to remember to thank that kid one day; not only for the job, but for the ride that had been the past decade.

Though they didn't all see each other every day, he considered his firm family as close as ever. They would still catch up over the occasional dinner and while the girls frequently got together for wine nights, he, Louis, Alex and Mike had a poker night once every few weeks.

"Hey, it's time" Mike calls into his office.

"I'll meet you downstairs" Harvey calls back, tossing his laptop into his bag and packing up for the night.

.

.

"Have you been here long?" he smiles, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and placing a kiss on her head.

"Ray just dropped me off" she replies, snaking an arm around his waist as they walk towards the end of the hall behind Mike and Rachel.

"You guys made it" Louis gushes when he spots them, ushering them into the room behind him.

"We wouldn't miss this for the world" Donna reaches out to pat his arm.

Reaching into the crib next to Shelia, Louis turns around holding a small baby swaddled in blue.

"Guys, I would like you to meet William Reginald Litt."

"Reginald?" Harvey asks, not even sure how Louis knows his middle name.

"We wanted to name him after someone he can look up too," Louis explains, handing his son to Donna.

"He's beautiful" she cooes down at the infant in her arms.

Watching her hold William in her arms, he's positive this is the life he wants, the life he wants with her. She's a natural with the infant, gently rocking him in her arms and he's mesmerized by the sight.

Once she passes him off to Rachel, he slips an arm around her waist and pulls her into his side.

"What do you say we have one of those?" he whispers.

She turns to face him, still wrapped in his arms, "Are you serious?" she whispers back.

"I want everything with you Donna."

.

.

Gathered around a table in a bar just up the street from the hospital Harvey raises a glass, "To Louis and Shelia, Louis, may your new family be everything you ever wanted, Mazel tov!"

"Thanks, Harvey. And to all of you," He looks around at the faces seated around the table; Samantha, Katrina, Alex and his wife, Gretchen, Mike and Rachel, Harvey and Donna, "Thank you for traveling all this way to share this moment with us. And thank you for being the greatest family a guy could ask for. To family"

"To family!"


End file.
